Chapter 12 #4
Ollie gives him the falsest of false smiles. ‘This is Clint and Gisela. He and I are in the running for the same promotion.’
‘Ahh, Clint. Ollie’s been saying how good you are and how he’s sure you’ll get the position.
’ I also give him my falsest smile because, even though Ollie didn’t have a chance to give me any advanced warning, this is surely the colleague who thinks he’s better than everyone else.
The superiority radiates from his swaggery walk, slick brown hair and contoured stubble, and Gisela is glugging champagne like a lifeline.
Clearly the kind of man who you need a drink to get through an evening with.
‘I’m sure he’s never said anything of the sort.’ Clint offers me a hand to shake and makes it seem like even that small gesture is extending me a great courtesy.
Gisela comes over and gives me a one-armed hug while clinging onto her glass with the other hand. ‘It’s so nice to finally meet you. We’ve heard so much about you!’
‘About my health issues, apparently…’
‘Well, they certainly look good on you, that dress is stunning, and those shoes…’ She lifts my hand and encourages me to spin around, but before I have a chance to, she spots something. ‘You’re not wearing a wedding ring.’
Oh, God. I’m not wearing a wedding ring. This is the first time I’ve even thought about a wedding ring, and I scramble for an explanation. ‘Oh, what an idiot I am! I took it off earlier to do my nails and I must’ve left it right there on the dresser!’
She glances at my bare nails. They are quite clearly not done.
I take a step back into Ollie’s space and give his chest a light smack. ‘Even you didn’t notice!’
‘Indeed, I didn’t.’ He sounds like he’s trying not to laugh again, but I’ve got to sell the part somehow.
Ollie wears his father’s wedding ring and has done since his parents died as a way of keeping his father close, but it hadn’t yet crossed our minds that I don’t have one, and I feel like a right numpty for having overlooked something so obvious.
I hold his hand in front of me like a shield and fiddle nervously with his ring instead, spinning it around on his finger like I would my own. ‘I’ll be sure to pick it up when we get home!’
Clint looks between us with narrowed eyes. He doesn’t buy the wedding ring story for a second.
‘So we’ll be seeing you for Christmas then?’ I say brightly, hoping they can’t hear the desperation for a subject change.
‘Wouldn’t miss it.’ He claps Ollie on the shoulder so hard that it rocks me too.
‘A chance to out-do yer boy here on his own turf! That’s peak Clint, that is.
Of course, not all of us are lucky enough to have our own castles so we have to make up for our shortcomings in other ways, like being really bloody good at our jobs and beating all the competition! ’
He claps Ollie’s shoulder again in a way that definitely feels more like a thump. ‘Well, must network! See you later, chums!’
‘It was nice to meet you, Lucy! The kids are so excited for Christmas!’ Gisela says as he drags her away.
‘Chums,’ I mutter. ‘Can’t wait to have him over.’
Ollie laughs, like proper belly-laughs, and both his arms slide around me from behind in a tight hug. ‘With you by my side, I can put up with him.’
He nestles closer and bends so his head is alongside mine. ‘He thinks I messed up the flight booking on purpose so I could show off my castle to Dand and Halston. As though having everyone for Christmas is a big ploy to win favour rather than sheer, unadulterated panic.’
His chin is on my shoulder and his cheek is resting against mine, and I reach up and stroke his face blindly, my thumb brushing over his jaw. ‘We’re going to have to be extra careful around him. He knows something’s up.’
‘He’d like something to be up, all right. He wants that promotion and he’ll go to any lengths to get it.’
I look around to make sure no one’s listening and then turn to hiss in his ear. ‘What, like paying someone to be his wife and hiring fake children?’
‘Touché.’
I lose myself in the closeness as ‘Silver Bells’ comes on and we sway on the spot to make sure we don’t stray into the path of any more wayward mistletoe, but with his height behind me, his arms around me, and his woodsy and sweet aftershave filling my senses, I could quite happily stand here all night, despite the way these heels are trying to rearrange the shape of my feet.
‘How soon do you think we can get out of here?’ Ollie whispers in my ear. ‘I never feel like I fit in at these things, but tonight, with you… I’m not sure I want to.’
‘I’m not sure I want you to either,’ I mumble, because everyone here seems so different to Ollie, and he is different around them. He thrives chopping down Christmas trees and letting Maisie put pink scrunchies in his hair, but here, he seems constantly on guard and shielded. Oliver, not Ollie.
‘Make an excuse and tell them I’ve got something wrong with me. You’re good at that.’
‘Will do.’
I miss his arms being around me instantly when he goes to look for one of the bosses to say goodbye.
‘Ollie? Not constipation!’